* * *
Medical Examiner’s Office…
The ME’s office was a small, windowless room with bookcases lining the walls and manila folders stacked on the floor, and on the two chairs. “Frank, I need a favor. One that will benefit both of us,” Miles said.
“I’m flat broke, Miles, and you know I don’t lend money to friends,” Frank Wrenn said.
“This is serious,” Miles said. “This is Barry Thornton and his wife, Alexandra. I would like for you to take a DNA sample from them and compare it to one of your cases. The station will cover the expense. One condition though.”
“You’re asking a favor, and putting a condition on it?”
“Yes, but I’m only asking you to keep it quiet until our story airs,” Miles said. “No questions asked.”
“Which case?” Frank asked.
“The grave at the new schoolhouse construction site.”
“Okay, but you’re going to owe me,” Frank said.
“Owe you? I’m going to make you a hero,” Miles told him.
“How long will this take,” Barry asked.
“I’ll have results this afternoon, since everything I need is already here.”
“Let’s do it then,” Miles said.
Frank had a technician take the swabs. “Compare these against #5081601HF, and no one sees the results but me,” he told the technician.
“You got it, boss.” He put the swabs back in their original tubes and left.
“I’m going to be out of the office, but you can call me on my cell,” Miles said.
“Any other special requests that will cost the state?” Frank asked.
“I told you we’ll pay for it.”
“That just creates more paperwork than it’s worth. I’ll think of something,” Frank said. “Nice to have met you folks.”
“It was our pleasure. We appreciate your help,” Allie said.
“Would you like to go to the site? The Lewis farms are adjacent to it?” Pierce asked.
“I would, if you don’t mind,” Allie said. “You can orient us. Also, if you like, I can show you the information I found.”
“Why don’t we do that over lunch?” he asked.
Allie explained what she had found in the census, the land records, and the church log. “You’ve convinced me. I’m a believer,” Miles said. “If Frank finds what I think he’ll find, we’ve got a lock on it. Now, for this afternoon, the relocated cemetery for the family is on private property, so we’ll have to get their permission to visit. That shouldn’t be a problem because I know the family. When the identity is resolved, it is likely they will petition to have the remains reinterred with the originals.”
“I wonder about something,” Allie said. “Since we’re her parents would we have any standing in the disposition? Even though it’s ninety plus years ago, we’re closer relatives than the current Lewis’s.”
“That may be true, but would you not want to keep her with her immediate family?” Miles asked.
“He’s got a point, honey,” Barry said.
“You’re right. It is sort of convoluted, isn’t it?” she said.
* * *
Miles was given permission to visit the cemetery. When they were relocated, new headstones were installed. She found the locations of Hiram and Sophronia, and Jedadiah. Then another Hiram and Jedadiah. “When I get home, I’m going to follow the family lines as far forward as I can,” she said. “Sarah told me they don’t make the census records public for seventy two years. That means the 1940 records are available and I looked at those briefly. 1950 won’t be available until 2022.”
“The family can probably help you with that,” Miles said.
.
Chapter seven
DNA
Miles’ phone rang. He moved away from the others and said, “Miles Pierce.”
“Miles, what are you trying to pull?” Frank asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. The Thornton DNA indicates they are the parents of the person from the coffin. I would guess the Thornton’s are in their early forties. How could they be the parents of someone who died around 1925?”
“That is the mystery, isn’t it?” Miles asked. “I share a theory with them, but a scientist would say it is impossible. Hold on and let me ask them a question.”
“Would you be willing to meet with Frank again, and explain our theory? I won’t do it without your permission.”
“Yes, of course,” Allie said.
“Frank, they are going to be staying at the Hyatt. If you’re up for a meeting tonight, they’ve agreed to lay it out for you.”
“You’ve got a deal. What time?” Frank asked.
“Is seven all right?” Miles asked the Thornton’s and received a nod.
“Seven o’clock at the Hyatt. I’ll get a conference room.”
“See you then,” Frank said and broke the connection.
“Well, what did he say?” Barry asked.
“The remains in the casket are those of your daughter. I just thought of something. Do you have a family dentist?”
“We do, and Angie saw him regularly for cleanings.”
“He might be able to help add more information to what you have, but I doubt it, considering the age.”
“Where are the farm houses?” Allie asked.
“There are several around here now. I really don’t know which is which,” Miles said.
“The homestead claims said they’re along Silver Rock Creek,” Allie said. “That must be it. Where does it go?”
“Most of the creeks around here empty into the Willamette River, which flows through Salem.”
“I guess back then, most people settled along creeks or rivers as a matter of necessity,” Barry said.
“I need to see if the Hyatt has a conference room we can use tonight, so let’s get you to the hotel and I’ll meet you at seven.”
“This has been absolutely fascinating, Miles. I thank you for it.” Allie said.
“My pleasure. It’s going to make a great program, and will probably get picked up by the network,” he said.
* * *
That evening…
After the handshakes and greetings were out of the way, Miles asked Frank to explain what he found. “First, let assume you don’t know a lot about DNA and give you a short education on the subject. It cannot positively identify the father, but can say there is a 99.99% accuracy whether someone is the father. The results I have, say that is the situation we have here. As for the maternal side, it is 100% accurate. I’m sorry to tell you, you are the mother of the person in the coffin.”
“On the contrary,” Allie said. “Now I know. Let us tell you the rest of the story.” She related the story of the flash flood, and concluded with “that’s the last we saw of Angie.”
Using the information she had collected before leaving home, she laid out the rest of her case. “Compare the signature we have from this homestead application with her signature here on this term paper. They are the same. By the way, this is the marriage record from the United Methodist Church in Salem where she married Jedadiah Lewis.
“I believe, somehow, some way, impossible as it may sound, our daughter traveled back in time to 1866 and wound up here in Haynes Falls, as one of the first people in the area.”
Frank said, “The logical person in me says that is impossible. The scientist part of me says it is possible in theory, but with no way to confirm it. Miles, it appears you have come across what might be the greatest mystery of our time.”
“If it happened to Angela, who knows how many others have experienced it?” Barry asked. “If the construction hadn’t started, or had been in another place, it may not have been discovered for another one hundred-fifty years.”
“One thing comes to mind,” Miles said, “when this goes live, it is going to cause all kinds of speculation. I’m not sure we will be doing a public service if we air what we’ve just been saying.”
“Miles, forget about owing me,” Frank said. “This is the experience of a lifetime, and I appreciate being in on it. I’m going to keep most of this to myself. When you are ready, we will announce the identity, but without the time travel part.”
“Thank you, Frank,” Barry said. “We appreciate it.”
* * *
Nine O’clock KNHF TV…
“Good morning, Barry, Allie,” Miles said. “Let me introduce the rest of the players here. Cal Griffith, our news director; Ralph Knox, the station manager; and the producer-director, Jim Cassell.
“Mrs. Thornton, we understand you have accumulated some fascinating information,” the station manager said.
Allie glanced at Miles. He shook his head almost unperceptively to indicate he had not said anything. “I have learned a lot,” she said.
“Miles, would you bring us up to date?” Griffith said.
“After I met them at the airport, we went to the ME’s office and had a DNA check.”
“”Who authorized that?” Knox asked.
“I did,” Allie said. “If it hadn’t been done, we would not be here this morning.”
“You mean after KNHF brought you out here, you would not have cooperated?” Knox asked, an indignant tone in his voice.
Miles permitted himself a small smile. He had been down this road. “Mr. Knox, there are some things of which you may not be aware. They did not use our tickets. They paid their own way and are fully prepared to walk away if they don’t like what they hear. If I may, I suggest we hear them out. It is a good story, one the likes of which you have never seen, or heard.
“Mrs. Thornton, why don’t you show them what you did before leaving home.”
“Thank you, Miles. With the help of the Brevard Family History Center, coupled with the video you aired, and I saw on Facebook, I gathered some data. First, this is the receipt for the purchase of the iPad I described to Mr. Griffith. My husband gave it to our daughter for Christmas in 2014. The serial number matches the one in the coffin. Using the approximate date of burial, I looked at census records and found nothing in 1930, but my daughter and her husband in 1920, 1910, 1880 and 1870.”
“Why not 1890?” Griffith asked.
“The 1890 census was almost entirely destroyed by fire,” Allie said. “1870 showed a family of our daughter, her husband and a son on a farm where the school site is.”
“How do you know it was your daughter?” Knox asked.
“Because I found this,” she said and showed him the recording of the marriage, “and the same day, she submitted a claim for land. Here is her signature on the claim file. This is her signature from a school paper. It is the same.”
“I don’t think that would hold up under close scrutiny,” Knox said.
“Miles, I’m sorry. It’s obvious Mr. Knox doesn’t believe us, and has other more important things to do than listen to a loony farmer’s wife, so we won’t trouble him any further. I thank you for your time this morning. Perhaps one of the Salem or Portland stations will be more receptive of our information.”
Cal Griffith stood. “Mrs. Thornton, I’m sure Ralph didn’t mean to give you the impression he was doubting your word. Perhaps you could give him the pièce de résistance.”
“I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let him know what he is missing out on,” Allie said and smiled sweetly.
“Last night, we met with the Assistant State Medical Examiner. The DNA test proved with 100% accuracy, I am her mother, and that with 99.99% certainty Barry is her father. I believe that will hold up under any level of scrutiny.”
Chapter eight
Another Meeting
“Ralph, may I speak to you privately?” Cal asked.
“Harrumph,” Knox cleared his throat, stood and left the room, followed by Cal.
“Ralph, you are pissing that lady off big time.”
“I don’t like her attitude,” Ralph said. “We bring her out here and she gives us this attitude.”
“We didn’t bring them out here. I invited them, but I did tell her we would cover their expenses, and I’ll do that, even if I have to cover it out of my pocket. They did pay their own way, and gave their credit card when they checked into the hotel.”
“It was our story that told them about this,” Ralph insisted.
“They saw it on Facebook. Facebook, Ralph. Social media Do you have any idea how big this is? It would be the biggest story the station has ever had. Think what it will do for our ratings. Are you just going to let them walk down the street to the other station?”
“All right, all right. You’ve made your point,” Ralph conceded. “Let’s go back in there and get it over with.”
They reentered the room with Ralph looking chagrined. Allie eyed the two men when they came in. He’s not used to getting called out. Wonder what his problem is.
“Mrs. Thornton, we do want your story. You’ve done some excellent research. We welcome anything else you have,” Ralph said. “Tell me about your daughter.”
“Angie was dedicated to getting an athletic scholarship, and it paid off. She was offered full rides at eight schools. She played volleyball and basketball. The colleges were more interested in basketball. She had just about decided on the University of Nebraska and we were heading home from her last allowed campus visit at Lincoln.”
“She must have been a good athlete.”
Barry put his hand on Allie’s. “She was all state in basketball two years in a row, and one year in volleyball. Brevard won the state title her junior and senior year,” he said.
“You must have been very proud of her.”
“We were,” Barry said. She was Daddy’s girl too.”
“Miles, do you think we could meet the Lewis family?” Allie asked.
“I think that would be an excellent idea,” Miles said. “I can introduce you if you like.”
“I would prefer to do it on my own. It might seem like a publicity stunt if you were there with cameramen and everything,” she said.
“Good point. We could bring them in after the identification is official.”
“I like that,” the producer said. “It would play well.”
“You people just don’t understand,” Allie said. “This is not a show to us. It is our daughter, our only child.
“Could we take another break for a few minutes? Get a cup of coffee or something?” she asked.
“I can have some brought in,” Cal offered.
“I need to stretch my legs and use the facilities,” she said.
“You’re really upset aren’t you?” Barry asked.
“Yes, I am. They’re going to make a spectacle of our daughter and what happened to her. I’m not going to let that happen.”
“I’m not taking their side. You know I’ll back whatever you decide to do, but have you considered if they hadn’t put the video on the air, we would never had known what happened to her? We would have gone on, thinking she had drowned. Now we know she lived a long life, and raised a family. Think about that for a minute. Don’t you think we owe them something for finding all of this out?”
Allie was deflated. “You’re right. I was being selfish and letting my mother’s protective instinct take over. We couldn’t protect her then, and she survived. We do owe them. Let me go wash my face and fix my makeup and I’ll be okay.”
Ten minutes later…
“Gentlemen, I have been letting my motherly feelings blind me in this matter. I owe you an apology. We will help any way we can, but if I can ask one thing, please don’t make a spectacle of our daughter. Thank you,” Allie said and sat down.
Two hours later, a plan had been agreed upon. “Mrs. Thornton, it will be done in good taste, I assure you,” Jim Cassell, the producer of the show said.<
br />
“Do you have plans for the afternoon?” Miles asked.
“We’ve been invited for a visit by Julia Lewis. Have you met her?” Allie asked.
“As a matter of fact, I have. She’s a gracious lady,” Miles said. “You’ll like her.”
* * *
Julia Lewis…
“Ms. Lewis, I’m Allie Thornton. I appreciate your invitation to visit. This is my husband, Barry.”
Julia Lewis appeared to be in her sixties. Gray haired, nicely dressed. She was quite attractive now and would have been a beauty in her younger days. “Come in and welcome. I don’t get many visitors these days. The youngsters don’t have much time for us old folks. Always busy with their video games and such.”
“You’re fortunate to have them around. We have no one to visit. Occasionally we run into some of my daughter’s friends, but that’s about it.”
“Oh don’t get me wrong,” Julia said. “I love them all. I would just like to see more of them. A good many of them have moved away, but come back to see grandma and grandpa once in a while.
“Look at me, I’ve forgotten my manners. Please sit down. Roy should be here in a few minutes. He had an errand to run. Would you like some refreshment? I have coffee, soda, and the best well water you ever tasted.”
“We just had lunch,” Barry said. “Is this an operating farm? We have a dairy farm back in Brevard, so I am always interested in seeing how others do things.”
“We are fully operational. Roy’s errand was to get a part for one of the tractors.”
“I doubt you know this, but a positive identification was made yesterday of the body found.”
“I didn’t know that,” Julia said.
“It was our daughter, Angela,” Allie said. Right after we arrived, we went to the Medical Examiner’s Office and they took our DNA and compared it. It was a perfect match. I don’t know when it will be formally announced. Since I first saw the video, I have been searching records and had convinced myself it was Angie. If you don’t mind, I would like to wait until your husband returns and only tell the story one time.”
Back In Time: A Historic Western Time Travel Romance (An Oregon Trail Time Travel Romance Book 3) Page 4